Pointless Blogpodge
April 15th, 2010Hey, folksies. I was going to write a screed about health care, but too many other, little things kept popping up in my head. I think that’s a sign that I should write a blogpodge instead. After all, my lukewarm opinions on health care can wait. Grammar and pop culture, however, cannot. Let’s begin.
If you know me, you’ve probably already thought that I might consider Weird Al Yankovic a kindred spirit. Now, my friends, you may consider this irrefutable proof.
The ads for Iron Man 2 have begun airing. Well, I should say that the ads for Iron 2 Man have begun airing, as that’s how the title appears. Why do people intentionally fuck up the order of things? One of my favorite video games is Resident Evil 4, but the box art says “4 Resident Evil”. It always bugged me. I suppose I have no point here other than impotent rage. Sorry.
This is an excellent article about the degradation of our language in modern politics. It speaks for itself… so to speak.
Conan’s going to TBS. Huh. I have a lot of thoughts on the matter, most of them optimistic. My initial reaction was surprise, mostly because TBS has made its name attracting people who aren’t funny and jamming them down our throats via hyper-advertisement. Adding Conan seemed incongruous. The more I think about it, though, the more brilliant a move I think it is. For years, TBS’s strategy was to fill comedy niches. They’ve filled some major ethnic comedy niches in George Lopez for Latinos, Tyler Perry for blacks, and Frank Caliendo for… uh, fat uncles who make bad jokes. Now TBS wants some of that upper-middle-class nerd niche that Stewart and Colbert have dominated. I’m intrigued.
Plus, from Conan’s perspective, it’s perfect — he can be the face of a channel that already has a name and a shit-ton of cash. He’ll be advertised during NBA and MLB playoff games, immediately giving him more exposure than NBC ever gave him. He will own his show, so there’ll be no intellectual property scuffles. With internet, cable, and TiVo, the apparent step down to basic cable isn’t as important as it used to be. Plus, he won’t have to deal with flighty affiliates, who would have given him the same problems at Fox that he had at NBC. I would’ve followed Conan anywhere, but I’m excited about TBS and relieved that I won’t have to get HBO.
Since I’m watching/listening to it right now, I have to recommend Arcade Fire’s performance on Austin City Limits. Jesus fucking Christ, I need to see them live.
Speaking of music, here’s a quick-and-dirty set of musical recommendations for you: Richard Ashcroft is the dude from The Verve. He made a few solo albums, the first of which is called Alone with Everybody. I started listening to it because it earned Ricky Gervais’s seal of approval in his old XFM radio show. Turns out, Ricky’s right. One more recommendation: the Fruit Bats’ newest album, The Ruminant Band, is fantastic. I know nothing about the band besides this album, but I’m told it’s a departure from what they normally sound like. Regardless, at least three songs on this album are so infectiously bouncy that I still can’t go a day without hearing them at least once.
Hmm, not many comments on that last giraffe post. Apparently you guys don’t like vulgar giraffes. I found Jerry a delight, so y’all can go suck eggs.
I’m in a recommendation mood. Hopefully, a lot of you listen to podcasts and know how to access them. If not, just browse iTunes and join the rest of nerd-dom. A couple I’ve enjoyed recently have been Chris Hardwick’s Nerdist podcast with Adam Savage (yes, the Mythbuster) and Doug Benson’s “I Love Movies” with guests Paul F. Tompkins and Jon Hamm. If you want to know how I spend my lonely hours, listen to those. If you don’t want to know how I spend my lonely hours, you’re probably a normal, mentally stable human being.
It’s good to see that Taco Bell is back to making up words. A TV ad tells me that they’ve introduced the “tortada”. I have no opinion on the matter; I just thought you all should know about this exciting development in gastronomical lexicography.
Okay, enough nonsense. Enjoy the rest of your evening.
-Darrell